The Digital Watch: A Brief History

Hamilton Pulsar P1 Limited Edition (1972)

The very first electronic digital watch to reach the market, the Hamilton Pulsar P1, launched in April 1972 for $2,100 (about $11,400 today). It used a light emitting diode (LED) display behind a synthetic ruby crystal, all encased in 18-karat gold. The display, produced by a complex 25-chip circuit, was so power hungry that it lit up only temporarily when the user pushed a button on the front of the unit. A similar model was featured prominently in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die only one year later.